Horn.



P. C. BURNS.

HORN.

APPLiCATlON FILED OCT. 29, I912. RENEWED SEPT\ 19. 1917.

Patented May 7,1918.

' V 972 Zia/29 Cfizarw ICE.

PETER C. BURNS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERICAN ELECTRICCOMPANY,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HORN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1918.

Application filed October 29, 1912, Serial No. 728,375. RenewedSeptember 19, 1917. Serial No. 192,223.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER G. BURNS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Horns, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to horns and has for its object the provision of animproved horn which for instance finds ready application for use onvehicles, although of course my invention is not to be understood asbeing so limited. My invention in this specific embodiment provides asuitable diaphragm, a loosely mounted movable impact member adapted toperiodically engage the diaphragm to vibrate the same for the purpose ofemitting sound. The impact memher is suitably actuated preferably bymeans of a rotatable serrated or similar element which periodicallyengages this impact memher and which serrated element is preferablydriven by means of a suitable motor. My invention contemplates in one ofits embodiments that this impact member be circular so that it may shiftin position so that the serrated member may the more readily engage itand pass over it in its movements.

In order to provide a very compact device my invention contemplates theuse of a suitable resonator at one extremity of which the diaphragm andother movable parts are mounted and in which the motor extends forwardlyfrom this extremity of the resonator. This I am enabled to do throughthe interposition of suitable gearing mechanism, thus to provide a mostcompact structure.

I will describe features of my invention more in detail in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 represents a side view of a horn constructed in accordance withmy invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the operating mechanism ofthe horn illustrated in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a rear view with the cover plate removedillustrating the gearmechanism.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, I show a resonator 1 mounted on asuitable back plate 2, which is associated by means of a suitable casing3 with an electric motor 4 used to operate the horn. The motor has asuitable armature 5 which drives a suitable gear 6 which actuates adriving pinion 8 mounted rearwardly of the resonator 1. The plate 2 isprovided with a suitable back plate 9 and these are held together bymeans of the screws 10. Between these plates the diaphragm 11 issuitably mounted as shown in Fig. 2. The back cover plate 9 is securedthrough the agency of screws 12 to the back casing 3 whereby all theparts are held together. Secured to the edges of a central opening 13 inthe plate 9 is a bracket 14, which bracket has an aperture 15 slightlylarger than a striking ball 16 held in this opening normally slightlyremoved from the diaphragm 11. The pinion 8 is suitably held in thebearings 18, 18. The pinion 8 carries a serrated element 19 consistingin this instance of a disk 20 having projecting arms 21, whichprojecting arms are adapted when this element 19 is rotated to drive theball 16 rapidly against the diaphragm 11 to thereby cause a vibration ofthis diaphragm for the purpose of emitting a sound which then passes outthrough the resonator 1. It will be understood that the arms 21 areclose enough together so that these arms, the diaphragm 11 and thebracket 14: hold the striking member 16, which in this instance is aball suitably confined within a predetermined space.

It will be understood from this that upon operation of the motor theelement 19 is suitably rotated whereby the arms 21 successively engagethe impact member 16 which thereupon impinges accordingly against thediaphragm 11 as stated.

From this it will be seen that I have provided a loosely mountedstriking element 16 which by being spherical in this instance may rotateas it is engaged by the arms 21, thus to permit easy operation of thedevice and to facilitate starting thereof.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the form which myinvention may take, I of course do not intend that the same shall be solimited, but having thus set forth the spirit of my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A device of the character described having a diaphragm, a singlespherical striker located centrally of said diaphragm to aotuate saiddiaphragm, a toothed element adapt ed to strike said striker and propelit to ward said diaphragm to Vibrate said diaphragm,

a casing, a plate, means whereby said'..

toothed element is pivotally mounted between said casing and saidp1ate,*means sup ported by said plate for confining the move- 10 mentsof said striker, a motor to drive said toothed element, and gearinginterposed between said motor and said toothed element.

In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 23rd day ofSeptember, A. D. 1912.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fiv e' 'oents each, byaddressing the c om'missioner of Patents,

Washington, 'D. (7.

